


Green Hell

by CrazyM



Series: Initial D: World tour [3]
Category: Initial D
Genre: Deadpool Takumi, Gen, Harry Potter References, Much skills, Nurburgring, The Green Hell, crazy ass driving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-02-15 12:39:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13031328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyM/pseuds/CrazyM
Summary: Takumi and Team travel to Nurburg, Germany for a gruelling battle on the Nordschelife. Ryosuke discovers a huge chink in Takumi's armor.And Takumi freaks out. Very internally.





	1. The M3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Germany drives Takumi very nuts

The flight was boring as fuck.

Unlike a local intercity flight, there were no crying babies, no old men making small talk and no overexcited children asking about every single imaginable thing. Just a sea of white faces and coincidentally enough, a lot of blonde hair. Takumi suddenly felt he had entered a group of different species altogether- the children sat absolutely still, with their curiosity drilled out of them. The men made no attempt at small talk and the babies, if any, were asleep. It was a flying spectacle of absolute silence. apart from an occasional ding, shuffle and very brief talk, there was nothing happening. The plane felt like it was full of machines being shipped to the nearest company.

But alas, they were humans.

The Takahashis actually seemed pretty complacent. Takumi understood why. They were freaks of nature too.

Takumi coughed to test if his voicebox was still any good and coughed louder than he needed to. Atleast ten pair of eyes moved in his direction, alongwith mildly annoyed faces, forcing him to cower in his seat. He resettled in his seat and looked around. The food was even blander- Takumi had never thought anyone could make an omlette taste that tasteless. The only consolation was the Sauerkraut. He chomped through it just to avoid having to go through the tastelessness of it. He was already starting to miss the sticky rice back home.

The rest of the flight, he forced himself to sleep.

Takumi descended down the staircase from the Lufthansa aircraft he and the Takahashi brothers had taken to reach this little town of Nurburg. They flagged the nearmost taxi and it rolled slowly close to them. The driver wordlessly loaded their luggage(which was not much- Ryosuke had told them to pack light). When the three of them were squeezed side to side in the rear seat, the driver looked backwards and said in a thick voice "Nurburgring?" All three of them, comically, nodded at the same time, causing the driver to chuckle and wake up the car, rattling it to life.

Everything in Germany had a blue tinge to it- the one that steel is so well associated with. The Tarmac is blue-black. The cars have a strange bluish aura about them. The trees and plants have a dull green in them, quite mechanical. Maybe it is the fearful efficiency they have. Maybe its the inability of have fun?

Maybe its the happiness being sucked out of him like a Dementor's kiss(yes, Takumi moonlights as a Potterhead. No one has been able to find his collection of Harry potter books till date.)

Takumi saw the massive, tube-like front of the entrance with the word Nurburgring written in bright red backlit letters as the taxi swung nearby. there was a direct entrance to the track where Takumi could see some cars whizz by. He then saw Keisuke shoot out of the taxi to meet someone he had not noticed earlier. With their luggage hanging at their sides, they walked to Keisuke and Takumi for the first time registered his rival.

Hans.

He had atleast two or three inches over him, sporting an undercut with chestnut hair and a pair of annoyingly bright blue eyes. He wore a brown fur jacket and a baggy pair of pants. He looked like he had been pulled straight off the set of a polar zombie apocalypse film. Him and Keisuke shake hands. Then Ryosuke and Hans. Finally Takumi took his outstretched hand. He felt lot more pressure on his hand than he could return. The shake was vigorous enough to send his shoulder ragdolling all over his place. Takumi always had the impression that manuvering the 86 at ungodly speeds had made him strong. Shaking Hans' hand felt like he hustled 18 wheelers with the same speed and the same precision.

either that, or he was a lumberjack.

_Holy shit he's strong._

Takumi clenched and opened his hand to make sure it hadn't been pulverized. Ryosuke smiled at Takumi's shaken visage, which Takumi noticed and reddened. He catches Ryosuke's eyes and he gets a very I-know-the-pain-you're-going-through look.

"How was the journey, Friend?" Hans asked in his thick, heavy German accent, turning to the only man he knows well.

  "It was nice. It took quite some time though"

"Europe _is_ quite far from Japan." There was a chuckle between the two.

 _What? They actually laughed at this? Was Keisuke's sense of humor this bad? Or did he live in so much monotony that he took the chance to laugh at any joke he could find?_ Germany was already driving him nuts. He did not pay attention for the rest of the conversation, which involved Ryosuke smiling and nodding in betweeen and the two racers catching up. It went on, and on. Takumi swung the bag around for the sake of something to do, but the conversation was anything but remotely close to over.

Takumi had it. He steered the conversation the only direction he could steer it to. His chariot for battle.

"What am I driving?" Takumi blurted out, sounding more desperate than he needed to.

Everyone turned towards him. Hans laughed in response to Keisuke saying something to him he did not hear. Hans walked to him and dropped his hands on his shoulders. Takumi felt like someone dropped a ten kilo chunk of tofu on each of his shoulder. He knows how it feels. Long story.

"Patience, Friend. You shall know soon." Was all he said.

Hans turned towards the entrance of the track and beckoned them. The three men followed him. Takumi then saw his set of wheels for the battle- Two BMW M3 E92's, one red and the other white. Takumi was very keen on knowing the source behind these two cars, and Hans seemed to have read his mind.

"My unkle and my father run a large BMW dealership here. We love BMW's."

  "No kidding" Ryosuke spoke for the first time.

Silence. Ryosuke always sounds like the last word, even though he has just begun a conversation.

He still wonders if Ryosuke could ever hold a half-decent conversation with a woman without making it _hopelessly_ philosophical.

"If I have your permission, can I have a lap or two with this car?" Ryosuke enquired. There was certainly an air of childishness around Ryosuke now. To others it will seem like nothing has breached his deadpan face but both Keisuke and Takumi have lived with him long enough to see through the facade. Ryosuke is genuinely curious to see how a proper M car drives. There are BMW's in Akagi but those are mostly diesel automatics and a rare petrol manual, but never M cars. Takumi had no idea about how non-JDM cars drive either. But Ryosuke's expression drove him to borderline smugness.

"For sure! I have rented the track for the whole day. Lap as you like!" Hans said, energetically.

As if on cue, the cars Takumi had seen whizzing past minutes ago had appeared, and they were exiting the ring. No other car entered. Takumi started having suspiscions about Hans being a local mafia. Great, now he was legitimately going insane.

Ryosuke saw the unmistakable flash of black in his periphery and caught the key, which had the blue and white BMW logo in the center. Ryosuke fiddled with the button, which on pressing locked and unlocked the car, but could not find the wretched key. Hans watched with amusement as he saw Ryosuke fumble with the key. Ryosuke opened the boot, turned on the panic alam(which brought out the track official from the office, cursing) and lock-unlocked the car 10 times before realising the key is inside the fob(Takumi watched all this like a caveman discovering fire for the first time). Sheepishly he extracted the key and walked towards the red M3. He opened the driver's door and entered the car. Takumi made a split-second decision and ran behind Ryosuke, opened the passenger door and sat in, strapping himself. Hans remembered something and ran to the driver's side. Keisuke felt weird being alone so he followed Hans.

When Keisuke reached the German, he was bent over, instructing Ryosuke about the controls of the car.

"Left pedal is for upshift, right for downshift."

  "Okay." Ryosuke said

Ryosuke reached behind the steering wheel and turned the key. The S65 burbled to life(It reminded the three of a highly domesticated isuzu back home). Hans smiled, like a father watching his child utter _Fuck_ for the first time. He then reaches in through the open window and presses a button Keisuke could not see.

"M dynamik mode engaged. Now you can have fun." Hans said, and smiled.

Hans backed away and took a few steps backward, beckoning him towards the track. The red coupe rolled slowly to the track.

The Green Hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from here on, we are going to see a more private and seriously outspoken side of Takumi. Do tell me how that goes.


	2. fast and heavy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryosuke takes a few laps of the nurburgring and discovers the M3 with Takumi in tow.

Ryosuke gives the M3 a bootful of throttle and the rear almost breaks loose, giving him a small fright. then comes the first turn, Hohenrein, a moderate right hander that is best taken at speeds under a hundred. Ryosuke gives it a little throttle mid turn to keep the line tight and then the four hundred and fourteen horsepower surges through the cold rear tires and the M3 snaps into oversteer. Ryosuke fights with the steering wheel to keep it in line. Takumi looks back at the cloud of smoke and swallows.

Both the men are used to a lightweight, well sprung grip-intensive chassis. The M3 is softer and heavier. Much like the GTR, but with one and a half times the power.

And also, No ATTESA E-TS or four wheel drive to keep the power in check.

A classic joker car. Takumi swears he heard the car go wheeeeee.

The first turn- Sud-kehre, after the starter straight. Ryosuke barrels in way too hot and realizes this well in time. he brakes and the M3 does a very faint nosedive which he uses to dispatch the apex. He again makes the mistake of using a bit too much power and the car snaps at him again, the tires clawing for grip but failing spectacularly. Ryosuke corrects in time to save face and the car sticks to the line. Ryosuke concludes the tires need their time to warm upto temperature. After dealing with Aremberg, Ryosuke gingerly steps on the throttle to make a clean exit. The tires stick and he tries with more power. So far so good. he rips down the fast section and then again tries the loud pedal on the Adenauer Forst. The tires stick throughout the turn, even with a decent amount of throttle on the exit.

The tires are in optimal temperature.

Time to push.

Ryosuke shakes off his apprehension and pushes hard. The M3 obeys with precision, masking its heft very efficiently. The weight is juggled between the four dampers with shocking swiftness, and the car jumps, skips and careens across the track, but in absolute control. the tires claw, bite and lunge for every square centimeter of grip, helped by the dampers in no small measure. The steering relays each little unevenness in every turn, allowing Ryosuke to make adjustments to handle each turn as fast and as less dramatically as possible. By the time the M3 barrels towards Klosteral, he dispatches another minor turn and the elevation declines suddenly, nearly lifting the BMW off its wheels. The car lands on its bump stops and Takumi lets out air audibly, while Ryosuke continues to insist on the throttle pedal. then comes the infamous Karussell turn, and Ryosuke slows down to a hundred and ten kilometers per hour. The inner wheels drop into the footful of tarmac and the outer tires claw into the concrete, and until the M3 crosses the region, the cabin is filled with tire noise. the section flings the car into the next turn, forcing Ryosuke to slow down more than he needs to. he turns in smoothly and realises the direness of the turn, swiping at the wheel and at the same time putting in power. He saves the turn in a slower drift that kills a little time but still keeps him in contention. Then comes the brutal set of corners the Green Hell is known for- the combination of Hedgewigshohe, Wippermann, Eschbach, Brunnchen and Eiskurve. He gets a breather through Pflanzgarten I. Then through Sprunghugel is a set of small quick corners. He slams on the brakes hard for Pflanzgarten II, where there is a massive decline.

Takumi's eyes widen as all four wheels lift off for a very short duration. The car lands hard on its dampers again, drawing an audible huff, this time from Ryosuke, who estimated the landing to be softer. The S65 V8 thrums to its 8200-RPM redline, and the DCT switches gears with ruthless speed. The progress is very brisk, and the relative softness means that the car remains planted through undulations. The paddocks do not feel spine cracking when Ryosuke hustles the M over them, which they undoubtedly would have had he been driving the FC.

The Schwalbenschwanz arrives, snapping Ryosuke out of his meditation and he takes the kleines Karussell and then the Galgenkopf with as much speed physics allows. The last turn spits him onto Dottinger Hohe at fifth gear over 220 KMPH. Ryosuke floors the throttle and the rev counter climbs up to the redline. He shifts to sixth and then begins the fight to go the fastest that M3's can.

The wind noise around them hardens.

270 KMPH.

The limiter is removed, so the M3 can do what it is capable of.

280 KMPH.

The tires start roaring louder.

290 KMPH

The S65 bounces off the limiter and Ryosuke shifts to seventh.

295 KMPH.

6900 RPM.

296 KMPH.

Antoniusbuche arrives. Ryosuke concentrates hard and points the M3 in the right direction. As gently as humanely possible.

297 KMPH.

Come on.

298 KMPH.

Tiergarten is over.

299 KMPH.

Takumi squirms, Ryosuke keeps flat. Hohenrain is coming. Hard. 7000 RPM.

Takumi prays hard in his head. _Please please please don't kill me in this country._

300 KMPH.

Ryosuke stands on the brakes. The nosedive is far more pronounced now. There is a squabble from the tires as the ABS light flashes in the cluster. Despite the seatbelts, both men's necks are thrown forwards and Takumi, for the first time, wishes that Ryosuke had braked earlier. He also wishes to do a lot of things right now but that would result in them dying in an inferno of metal and flames. The assault of gravity continues on Takumi's face as it is pulled forward against his skull. His back is half on the leather seat and the other half is held in place off the seat by mother nature and a very stubborn piece of nylon, locked in its place, refusing to move. The 1.6 ton machine sheds speed fast, with the brake pedal pulsating under Ryosuke's left foot. The right is still millimeters away from the throttle, ready to start attacking the next turn.

Hohenrain is again taken as fast as Ryosuke can make the M3 to. He has completed one lap and he takes to the pits where he sees Keisuke and Hans sitting on chairs, talking and laughing. Ryosuke pulls up next to the duo and Keisuke glances at the front brakes, and grins. Takumi lowers the window, and prays he does not hear another joke from any of them. Just one was traumatizing enough for the day.

"Did not back off at the straight, did you?" Keisuke, says, still grinning.

Takumi huffs, and laughs. _He is alive._ So do Hans and Keisuke. Ryosuke smiles sheepishly.

After the laughter dies down, Ryosuke says "Let the brakes and tires cool, and then I'm going again."

Takumi looks at Ryosuke like he just asked him for both of his kidneys. He suddenly wants to pee.

_Crazy guy, he is._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, chapter 2 took a little more time due to college. But there is more in this chapter and I will try to add as I get a little more time. Refer to the map of the Nurburgring on wikipedia for reference on turn names.


	3. S-65 Billion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its Takumi's turn to try out the M3.
> 
> He really should have paid attention to the DCT controls instead of fiddling with his seat.

Takumi can appreciate Ryosuke's lap much more when he does not have to worry about dying. He reminisces each turn that was taken with godly precision and sets the line, approach and attack into his mind. The second lap was much better, because the tires were warm and he saw the method to Ryosuke's madness.

Its his turn, after all.

Takumi really wishes he had paid attention to the DCT's controls instead of fiddling with his seat. He flicks the control into manual(the only thing he knew how to do. He had paid attention till that point but then suddenly the seat had become an object of immense interest) and the M3 goes to first gear. He searches the steering wheel for any help and he spots the shifter paddles and then the M button. He remembered Hans pressing it and he pressed it too, and suddenly the car hummed, like it was gearing up for action. Takumi floored the throttle and the rear tires screamed for grip, even though they were still warm. He approached the first turn, just like Ryosuke had, still in first gear and slows down to dispatch it. The relatively straight section to Aremberg meant he would have to upshift sometime in between.

He was used to a super-hard aftermarket clutch and the kick he had to perform to upshift fast.

But the M3 only had a dead pedal where the clutch should be.

Takumi kicked into the imaginary clutch with all his might and the pad of his foot crashed into the metallic after market dead pedal, sending a smarting pain up his left leg, also ensuing an _Ack!_ from deep within Takumi's throat. Ryosuke started at the turn of events and looked at Takumi, his face full of expressionlessness.

Takumi flicked the lever downwards and played Ryosuke's judging down. The S65 continued its smooth ascent to the rev limiter and Takumi flicked the lever down once again, his left foot throbbing hard. He reached Aremberg and slowed down.

His downshift mode was still hardwired to manuals. He flicked the gear lever up, but his programming sent his left foot flying _again_ , and his foot cracks against the dead pedal _again_ , and he yowls at the contact.

_GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT! my precious-precious left foot!_

Ryosuke starts more violently this time, an his face is expressionless again, but his eyes are tinged with concern.

"Are you alright, Takumi?" Ryosuke asked.

 _Doctors and their complete sentences_. "Yes" Takumi almost yelps. He can sense Ryosuke formulating a retort but biting it back, which relieves him. His eyes are watering so he blinks it away, focusing on the track ahead. 

He goes through Adenauer forst very quickly and guides the car through all the paddocks, taking as straight a line as possible, the M3 feeling lightweight in Takumi's hands, shooting from apex to exit like a microbe, finding grip where Ryosuke had not been able to. Takumi doesn't back off one bit when the elevation(and gravity) gives them a finger at Klosteral and the M3 lifts off, the nose pointed at the apex of the next turn. The car lands just shy of the apex and Takumi turns in, Ryosuke catches the base of his seat and steels his gut. Takumi barrels towards the Karussell turn and slows down just enough to hit the apex. The four tires screech in pain as Takumi goes through the turn, but still keep holding. Ryosuke cringes internally at the assault on the tires.

He takes care of the turn just after with equal ferocity, paying no heed to the passenger being tossed around in his seat. He tries more acceleration, later braking and harder turning but nothing works to tune out the painful throbbing in his left foot.

The combination of Hedgewigshohe, Wippermann, Eschbach, Brunnchen and Eiskurve are dealt with even more ruthlessnes, prompting Ryosuke to squirm in his seat. He gets a breather through Pflanzgarten I. Then through Sprunghugel is a set of small quick corners. He slams the throttle harder for Pflanzgarten II.

Ryosuke's eyes widen as all four wheels lift off for what feels like an eternity and the M3 sails through the aerial distance, scoffing in the face of gravity. The car lands hard on its dampers again, drawing an audible huff, this time from Takumi, who estimated the landing to be softer(thank you, M dynamic mode). The S65 V8 thrums to its 8200-RPM redline, and the DCT switches gears with ruthless speed, replenishing the pain in his left leg with each change.

Schwalbenschwanz arrives again, spurning Takumi he takes the Kleines Karussell and then the Galgenkopf with as much speed physics allows. The last turn flings him onto Dottinger Hohe at fifth gear over 230 KMPH.

260.

270.

280.

290.

295.

300.

Takumi still has a bit more to push.

305.

Ryosuke has accepted the idea of death.

Hohenrain is here.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Takumi roars, jumping onto the brakes. Ryosuke, his head wild with sensory overload, looks at Takumi like he has been possessed. His left foot slams into the dead pedal _again_ , his panic braking programming not having changed. He howls.

_What the fuck did he just say?_

Takumi doesn't care about anything right now. His vision is tunneled onto the turn approaching him with wild speed. The ABS, ESP and TCS indicators light up like a Skrillex concert and the tires are howling like a pack of wolves.

The turns are taken with reckless abandon, Takumi's left foot now threatening to explode under sheer pain. The M3 tries its best to grab on and it does, hanging by a proverbial thread.

The M3 roars into the pit-lane and screeches to a halt right beside the duo( _again_ ). Takumi doesn't stop to acknowledge Hans and Keisuke. He instead grabs his left foot, undoes the seatbelts, and tumbles out of the car, mewling pathetically. The three men gather around him.

"What happened?"

"He kept kicking the dead pedal again and again"

Takumi registers a husky laugh. His pain is too much to focus on anything else presently.

"Should I get him water?"

"No, you should get him a doctor."


	4. Calm before the storm

"Okay." Ryosuke said. "Tell me if you feel anything." Ryosuke then proceeds to prod and feel the injured left foot.

They are back in their hotel room. Hans had called it a day when Takumi ended up being unable to walk. They hailed a taxi and dragged him to the room. Ryosuke was gone for a good part of an hour, returning with a handful of syringes filled with liquids neither Keisuke or Takumi could pronounce.

Takumi concentrated, hard. Hard enough that he looked constipated. But he felt nothing. Nothing at all. He was numb.

"Nothing." Takumi replies.

"Nice." Ryosuke said, breaking the used syringe and discarding it. He emptied the mini fridge of ice and filled a bucket with it. "Keep your foot in this. By the time the Novocaine wears off your feet will be too cold to notice anything."

"Novo-what?" Takumi piped up, and so did Keisuke.

"Its a local anesthetic. Used to numb the area so that surgery is painless."

"So its like a drug?" 

"Kind of."

There is a silence.

"Can't we move this to a later date?" Takumi asks.

"No. We won't back off on our first challenge. The M3 has an advantage here. You can actually drive it quite well using a single foot. Since there is no clutch pedal, it suits your hard braking style." Ryosuke says.

"He's right." Keisuke agrees. 

Ryosuke sighs when Takumi stares at him blankly. Ryosuke is sure Takumi is feeling the placebo effect of calling a harmless local anesthetic a drug.

"The downshifting can be done automatically so all you have to focus on is the braking and accelerating. It takes away extra stimulus so that only the basic functions of accelerating, braking and steering remain."

"That means Hans would be easy to beat." Takumi blurts out in his fake-druggedness.

"Oh never underestimate him." Keisuke interrupts. "He looks harmless, but he does some extremely unexplainable shit. I still haven't been able to figure out how he does the jiggle."

"The jiggle?" Takumi pipes up.

"Its kind of a powerslide, but based on what I have seen him do on a circuit, the back fishtails while taking the turn, like zig-zagging, keeping the line very tight. He's overtaken more people I can count using the jiggle, often on the outside."

"Outside?"

"Yeah, its kinda simple. The Jiggle keeps the line tight. He takes the apex on the outside, and lets the opponent take the lead. The jiggle points the car inwards when the opponent car is exiting the turn. Hans is accelerating while the other car has just exited the turn and begun to accelerate. It negates power differences quite well. Hans, in fact, has the most underpowered car in the GT500 series."

"I can see a fault here." Ryosuke says. "As it relies so much on the chassis, suspension and tires, he must be stressing them too much."

"He knows this. That is why his car also has the most advanced aero. Most of it is secret, though. He uses the R35 GTR, so he relies heavily on the AWD as well." Keisuke says

"But the GTR is extremely grippy. And AWD. This BMW is RWD, and on road tires. And it has road-car aero. I can't see how he's gonna use it." Takumi replies.

"That is what worries me more. He also pulls some pretty amazing shit when cornered." Keisuke says.

There is a short silence. All three of them look at the floor to think.

"Well, all we can do is wait and watch." Ryosuke says. "And hope Takumi can win this."

Takumi needs more luck than Ryosuke thinks.

The next morning arrives, and they take a taxi to the ring. Hans, as usual, is waiting for them, with the same cars as the last time. He somehow knows that Takumi will instinctively pick the red one, so he stands by the white M3. Takumi is able to walk, thanks to the ice treatment. Hans offers his hand to Takumi and they shake.

"I believe your foot is okay now?" Hans asks.

"Yeah. I can drive."

"Thank god. Give me a good race, ja?"

"For sure."

Takumi sits in the red M3 and Ryosuke bends in front of the open door to give him a pep talk. When Keisuke reaches the car, the talk is done.

"Remember what I told you, and you should be fine." Ryosuke says and Takumi nods. As they turn around to go to the paddocks, Takumi calls out.

"Ryosuke-san!"

Ryosuke turns around. "What happened?"

"Tie my left leg to the seat."


	5. Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its time for the battle, and it is here Takumi learns a valuable lesson about left foot braking.

When Hans pulls up beside Takumi, there is a different kind of tension. Hans's M3, though identical, seems to idle louder than Takumi's. The anticipation is so high that Takumi can taste it.

"One lap only!" Hans screams through the open window of his car. Takumi nods silently even though he knows Hans cannot see him. The Takahashis look on from the pitlane. Hans blows the horn and they shoot off the line. Takumi manages a clean start, but Hans just glides away.

"What do you think?" Keisuke says

"For the first time, I have zero idea." Ryosuke says. "I haven't seen him drive before but from what you say and from what Takumi has been able to do with the car, I believe we truly have a reason to worry. Takumi has zero experience with an automatic car or something so heavy."

The two cars approach Sud-Kehre, and the familiarity with the M3 becomes evident. Takumi dashes in too hard and as a result, brakes too late, making the car run wide, while Hans smoothly takes the turn, the tires screeching to let the driver know about their limits but never losing their grip. Hans starts pulling away. Slowly, but surely.

"So, you think Takumi can lose?" Keisuke says.

"I don't think even his luck will save him this time." Ryosuke says. "Despite Takumi's skill level, he has only raced on the mountains."

"But isn't that supposed to be better?" Keisuke says. "I mean without having to account for gutters and other road surface problems, he can concentrate more on driving faster through every turn.

"That is the point." Ryosuke explains. "Its not the road surface that is unpredictable."

Takumi and Hans have reached Adenauer Forst, passing the fast section before it. The tires are upto temperature so they stick. Takumi takes the turn rather well, half throttled, front end feeling skittish. The steering talks to him rather well but he cannot get the front end pinned down. Hans is perfect. His entry and exit speeds are higher, but only a little, so he goes faster and inches out a little bit more.

_Is he cornering on rails? How is his car going like a ballerina and mine like a hippo on ice?_

"What is it then if not the road?" Keisuke asks.

The front end, despite a heavy V8 engine, feels like its not pressing pressing the tires into the road surface hard enough. Hans hasn't used the jiggle even once yet, meaning Takumi hasn't even put enough pressure on him to force him to drive seriously.

When they reach Klosteral, the elevation change is expected. Both of them brake but Hans brakes ever later, going deeper into the turn.

_He's braking into the turn?_

Takumi does the same halfway through the turn to compensate, but then the front end rebels again, turning in too much, going deeper than Hans' line.

_Shit, there has to be something else._

"The road surface is perfect, but the road isn't perfectly level all the time. there are tiny elevation changes throughout the whole track, meaning a car even with a relatively softer suspension setup feels skittish and lacking in grip."

"So the only way to take turns fast is to go slower than usual?"

"No. Not that, but braking at the right time."

"Takumi can brake pretty well, so no worries there."

"That is where you are wrong."

After struggling through a brief section, the two cars hurtle towards Karussell.

_Quick, look at how he brakes!_

Takumi trains his eyes on the brake lights of the white M3 and he notices that Hans brakes until the apex of the turn, but the loss of speed is fairly minimal, and Hans' front end seems much more planted than his. He then, by instinct, listens, and then the discovery strikes him like lightning.

"Braking and accelerating at the same time?" Keisuke asks.

"The throttle is kept open to keep the engine spinning, but the brakes settle the front end. Combine this technique with trail braking and this makes the car go much faster than possible normally." Ryosuke explains. "Nurburgring is a mix of uphill and downhill sections, so that means his style has to keep changing with the elevation. And the M3 can allow the transfer of weight between every end of the suspension arms."

"So its an advanced form of weight transfer? Like the gutter technique he used against the Miata?"

"You see, Takumi isn't used to taking a corner with grip, and the suspension is softer than his 86. Gripping and precision rewards the driver more in a car like the M3. It can drift pretty well, mind you, but it goes so much faster when you can get it to settle down."

"So instead of throwing it around, setting a tempo with the car is faster. It does roll a little but that's how it communicates with the driver." Keisuke concludes.

Takumi corrects the car mid line by a touch of brakes mid corner and then suddenly the car settles down, and more reserves of grip materialize. The body feels a lot less skittish.

_So this is how I have to drive it. caress it across the track._

The banking at Karussell allows even more grip, but Hans maintains his lead. Takumi takes the next turn a little faster, but the M3 ahead seems comfortable, calm and collected through the turn.

"It is after Karussell, the rounded hairpin, when their skill levels will show. It requires delicacy and timing. If Takumi gets the section right, he can win."

The section of the turns, brutal set of corners the Green Hell is known for- the combination of Hedgewigshohe, Wippermann, Eschbach, Brunnchen and Eiskurve has Takumi juggling between the throttle and brake. his left leg is tied into the seat, and is beginning to throb again, meaning the anesthetics have worn off. Takumi puts his mind back into the track. Hans gets away ever so little with every turn, and by the time they reach Pflanzgarten I, Hans has pulled away by a car length.

_His braking is perfect, his car settles down perfectly at each corner. He knows this track very well._

Takumi's leg throbs again, but he forces it away from his mind. Takumi is off only by a split second, but Hans capitalizes on each of them, making Takumi feel like he's holding onto sand. The harder he tries to hold on, the quicker he slips away.

But Hans is a race driver. someone who eventually knows more driving than Takumi ever will. But he has to keep trying. He has no idea how much each trip costs the Takahashi brothers, so he has to make the most of it. Then Takumi makes a decision.

"But his foot is injured!" Keisuke protests

"That could work in his favor." Ryosuke explains. "It will be much more sensitive to every input he makes."

Takumi feels for the thin rope and realizes its tied like a shoelace. He finds the loose strand and pulls at it. His leg comes free and hits the floor. Pain shoots through his leg and through watery eyes, he navigates the section of Sprunghugel. By the time he slowly straightens his leg, the car goes airborne through the end of Pflanzgarten II. When the car hits the bottom, Takumi shouts out in pain, rather loudly, and the voice somehow reaches Hans, making him slip ever so slightly. Takumi puts his foot gingerly on the brake pedal.

_Okay, lets win this._

Takumi manages to brake perfectly with his overtly sensitive foot. They are neck and neck through Schwalbenschwanz and Kleines Karussell, but Hans manages to eke out an infinitesimal lead by the time they hit the straight. As a result, Hans pulls away by half a car length by the time the small bend appears. Hans overshoots ever so slightly while Takumi gets his only turn right. He manages to claw a little lead. As they approach Hohenrain, Takumi's eyes are watering furiously. As he takes the Turn, Hans pulls even and they cross the line together.

Fuck me.

Takumi limps out of the car and is swallowed by Hans' arms.

"Wunderbar!" He calls out heartily. "You have exceptional skill."

"Your injury worked in your favor." Ryosuke smiles. Takumi is then provided a chair by Keisuke who was right behind him. The brothers talk to Hans about something that Takumi does't bother to pay attention to. As he closes his eyes to embrace the throbbing, there is only one thing on his mind.

The flight back home will be a bitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too late. Sorry


End file.
